Thomas R. Bates, Jr., Ph.D.
Director
Dr. Bates has served as a member of our Board of Directors since November 2011, as Chairman of our Compensation Committee since May 2014, and as a member of that committee since May 2012. Dr. Bates is a private investor and currently an adjunct professor in the Finance Department at Texas Christian University where he teaches in the MBA program at the Neeley School of Business. Dr. Bates joined Lime Rock Management LP, an energy-focused private equity firm, as a managing director in 2001 and became a senior advisor of the firm in 2010 before retiring in 2013. Dr. Bates had 25 years of experience in oil service management and operations before joining Lime Rock. He served from 1998 through 2000 as president of the Discovery Group of Baker Hughes and was responsible for the integration of Western Atlas into Baker Hughes. Earlier, he served as president and chief executive officer of Weatherford Enterra. Previously, Dr. Bates spent 15 years with Schlumberger in both domestic and international locations and was responsible for the Anadrill business unit when early MWD and LWD tools were commercialized. Dr. Bates began his career with Shell Oil Company, where he conducted drilling research. Dr. Bates has been a personal investor and/or a corporate investor in more than a dozen oil service technology startups. Dr. Bates serves as chairman of the board of directors and a member of the compensation and audit committees of Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. and as chairman of the board of directors and a member of the compensation and nominating and governance committees of Tidewater Inc., both of which are public companies subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Dr. Bates also serves on the board of directors and as chairman of the compensation committee of Alacer Gold Corporation, a Canadian publicly traded company, and as chairman of the board of directors and a member of the audit committee of Vantage Drilling International, a private company providing drilling services. Dr. Bates previously served on the boards of Hercules Offshore, Inc. from 2004 through November 2015, Natco Group, Inc. from 2003 through 2009, and T-3 Energy Services from 2007 until it was acquired in 2011. Dr. Bates is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering.
